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Billy Graham Abel, Yola
The Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has confirmed a fifth case of Coronavirus in the state.
While confirming the fifth case, the governor explained that one of the two Adamawa-bound persons who tested positive for Coronavirus at Gombe quarantine center is still at large.
He made the remarks during a public address reviewing the lockdown in the state, over the weekend, in Yola, Adamawa state.
Fintiri in his address said the lockdown imposed on the state would be relaxed effective on Monday 4th of May, 2020.
He noted that while school would remain closed, workers on level 15 upward would be expected to resume work effective Monday and that the head of service would make arrangements for how other workers would resume without compromising the rule for social distancing and respecting public health safety.
While addressing the state, Fintiri said: “Gombe State government returned some of our citizens who were on transit through the state and have been quarantined.
“This was done after they had sent us a list of the returnees.
“The samples were collected at random and sent to the lab for testing.
“Twenty-six (26) out of the total returned were among those sampled, tested and found negative and were released along with those who showed no symptoms after the 14 days.
“On Saturday 2nd of May, 2020, the Epidemiological Unit head in Gombe reported to our team here that two people whose samples were collected and confirmed positive had slipped out before there results was received and they are suspected to be heading to Adamawa, their intended destination.
“The details of the individuals did not match anyone on the list we had from Gombe.
“Of the two, one indicated Mubi as his final destination and the other Lamurde.
“Search teams were raised to track them down and we were lucky to track the Lamurde-bound person in Numan at about 1:30am last night and have picked him up early this morning and is now at the treatment centre.
“The one that is Mubi-bound, has been tracked to Ngorure, through his phone number but is still at large and his phone has been out of communication for a while.
“We are using all available means to get him.
“I can therefore confirm that we now have, as of today, five positive cases of COVID-19 in our treatment centre.”
Explaining the relaxation of the lockdown he said: “At this point, it is pertinent to state that having passed through one week of the latest lockdown, tremendous progress has been achieved with contacts tracing, samples collection and testing as the practical outcomes.
“In view of the disruption to lives and livelihoods and considering that majority of the people have to go out daily to eke out a living, government, after due consultations, has agreed to ease the lockdown in line with some of the measures taken by the Federal Government, particularly those that are in consonance with our peculiar situation in Adamawa State.
“It is hereby ordered that effective Monday 4th May 2020, there will be a relaxation of the restriction on movements between 6 am to 8 pm onwards, subject to any further review.
“In this regard, government believes that strict adherence to the protocols and guidelines issued by the World Health Organization and adopted by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) coupled with aggressive contact tracing will greatly enhance the containment plan.
“Citizens shall therefore adhere to the following measures:
“Frequent and proper handwashing with soap and running water, where possible, alcohol based hand sanitizers should be used.
“Mandatory wearing of face masks when one goes out and in all gatherings, markets, shops, commercial transport.
“Adherence to social and physical distancing, and
“Avoiding crowds of above fifty people in social, cultural and religious gatherings.”
The governor further directed that work will resume for workers on Levels 15 and above and that the head of service arranges how workers on other levels will gradually resume.
He also maintained that interstate travels will remain banned as schools in the state will also remain closed.
